Spring is here, the sky is blue
by thegirl20
Summary: Some vignettes from Charity and Vanessa's wedding day.
1. Chapter 1

_23:38_

The time glowers at her from her phone. She wedges it back between her cheek and shoulder and rolls onto her back, sighing. "Whose idea was this, eh?" she asks, staring at the ceiling of Tracy's spare room. Funny that she thinks of it that way, when it used to be _her _room. These days it's strange and unfamiliar and lonely.

"What? Spending the night apart?" Charity drawls in her ear. "Well, that'd be your idea, buttercup. I'd never suggest anything so stupid."

Vanessa sighs, and gets up, moving to the window and shoving it open, enjoying the late spring breeze, bringing with it the scent of freshly cut grass and smoke. Their bedroom light is still on at Jacob's Fold and she smiles. "You still up?"

"No. I'm having this whole conversation while I'm fast asleep." Charity tuts. "What do _you_ think?"

"Come to the window," Vanessa murmurs.

She hears Charity sigh, but it's accompanied by a rustling of sheets. "If you're in the garden with a ghetto blaster, babe, tomorrow's off."

Vanessa laughs, secure in the knowledge that the threat is an empty one. The window across the street opens and Charity's head pops out. Vanessa lifts a hand in greeting as she speaks into the phone. "Hi."

"Hi yourself."

She can't quite see the detail of Charity's face from this distance, but she can hear the smile in her voice. Vanessa sighs again. "I can't get to sleep."

"Too excited at the prospect of marrying me, eh?" Charity asks. "Understandable."

"Well, there is that, of course," Vanessa says, feeling a gentle warmth start to pool in her cheeks at what she's about to say. "But I think it's...it's just that-"

"You miss me," Charity says, the matter-of-fact words softened by her tone.

"Yeah," Vanessa whispers. "I miss you." She forces a laugh. "How daft is that? You're literally across the road."

Vanessa's spent forty years of her life sleeping alone. She should be able to do it without a problem. But a couple of years sleeping beside Charity, feeling the heat from her body, learning all of her little noises and quirks, has made it damn near impossible. It's been months, maybe a year, since they spent a whole night apart. Vanessa's job means she's occasionally called away in the middle of the night, but they always spend part of it together.

"'Course it's daft. But it's, you know-" Charity heaves a long-suffering sigh. "It's not just you."

The admission makes Vanessa's throat tighten and she presses her lips together, sniffing. "What are we like, eh?"

"A right pair of wallies," Charity says. "That's what we are. And that's about ninety-six percent your fault, by the way."

"How d'you work that one out?" Vanessa demands, unsure what she's actually being accused of, but needing to dispute it anyway.

"Because-" Even from her current position, Vanessa can see Charity's frustrated hand gesture. "I was never like this before you came along, was I? All lovesick and ridiculous. Missing someone I saw less than three hours ago." Charity clicks her tongue. "It's all you, that is."

"Oh," Vanessa softens. "Well. I'm not sure that's true, actually. I think you've always been you. You just hadn't found anyone who let you be yourself, yeah?"

"Is this you trying to shift some of the blame?" Charity asks. "Trying to make out like it's a fifty-fifty situation?"

"Might be," Vanessa says. "I'll stop if you admit you've always been a big softie at-"

The bedroom door bursts open and Vanessa whirls around, covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Tracy's stood there, illuminated from behind by the hall light, like some psycho killer in a film.

"Who have you been yakking to for the last half an hour?" Tracy demands, coming into the room. "You're supposed to be sleeping so we don't need to spend all tomorrow morning covering up the bags under your eyes."

"It's, uh-" Vanessa pauses, glancing over her shoulder at the window, aware of how silly this will look to an outsider. "I just-"

Tracy shakes her head. "Oh, you are kidding me." She marches over, nudging Vanessa out of the way so she can get a better look.

"Hiya Trace," Charity says on the other end of the phone, loud enough for them both to hear her. Vanessa peeks over Tracy's shoulder to see Charity waving.

"For _God's _sake," Tracy says, but there's amusement dancing underneath the words. She turns back to Vanessa and shakes her head. "You can't even manage one night apart?"

"Well, we _can_," Vanessa protests. "I mean, that's what we're doing now, aren't we?"

"Supposed to be, yeah," Tracy says. "But it's nearly midnight and here the pair of you are hanging out your windows like flamin' Romeo and Juliet." She rolls her eyes, leaning in and talking close to the phone. "Just come over." Her eyes meet Vanessa's and she nods to the window. "Or you go home. I don't care which."

"But-"

"But nothing," Tracy says. "This whole thing was so you wouldn't see each other's outfits before the wedding, yeah? Well, you can still get changed in separate houses, but clearly sleeping apart isn't working out for you."

"I've never heard your sister talk so much sense," Charity says, accompanied by a soft clomping. "I must be rubbing off on her."

"Oi! I heard that, cheeky," Tracy says. The sound of a door closing catches their attention and they move back to the window in time to see Charity, wearing nothing but a set of silky pyjamas, power walking across the road. She looks up and her eyes meet Vanessa's.

"Want me to do the whole '_What light through yonder window breaks_' bit?" Charity asks.

"Charity, Charity, wherefore art thou, Charity?" Vanessa murmurs into the phone.

Charity winks as she heads up the path. "I'm not quite as sprightly as I used to be, babe, so I hope you're not expecting me to shinny up to that window."

"I'll settle for the door," Vanessa says. "See you in a sec. Bye."

"Bye," Charity whispers in return.

"Bye," Vanessa says again, reluctant to hang up first.

Tracy yanks the phone away from her ear, pointedly saying "_Bye_!" before hanging up. She rolls her eyes. "Wherefore art my sick bucket?" Vanessa frowns and nudges past her, heading out onto the landing. Tracy catches her arm before she can go downstairs to let Charity in. "By the way, if you're planning to have sex, try and keep it down, yeah? I've still got my speech to finish off and I need peace to concentrate."

"We're not gonna-" Vanessa catches herself, biting her lip and blushing. They probably will have sex. "Yeah, okay, we'll keep it down." When Tracy turns to go to her room, she calls after her. "Trace? Don't stress about the speech, okay? Whatever you say will be brilliant."

Tracy smiles and nods. "Thanks, V. But it should have been him, and I want to do him proud."

Tears burn the back of Vanessa's eyes, and she manages a wobbly smile. "You will. You already are."

The letterbox gets pushed open and Charity's not very quiet whisper comes through. "Is somebody gonna flamin' well let me in before I get arrested for casing the joint?"

Vanessa laughs, wiping at her eyes. She squeezes Tracy's hand. "I better let Her Majesty in or she'll have the whole street up."

"Yeah, go on." Tracy sniffs and wipes at her face. "I'll see you in the morning."

She watches Tracy go before heading down the stairs, unlocking the door to reveal a frowning Charity. "'Bout time, babe. I thought I was- Are you crying?"

"No. Not really, at least." Vanessa smiles, wiping away the remnants of her tears. "Just thinking about my Dad."

"Ah." Charity nods, closing the door behind her and tugging Vanessa into her arms. "He was happy for us." She rolls her eyes. "Eventually, at least."

"Because he saw how happy you make me," Vanessa says, draping her arms over Charity's shoulders. "I wish he was here, but he's not, and I know he wouldn't want me to be crying over him on my wedding day." She smiles up at Charity. "So when I marry you tomorrow, the only tears I cry are gonna be happy ones."

"Hmmm." Charity tilts her head. "Thing is, though, I'm not marrying you tomorrow."

Vanessa's head jerks back, brows drawn together in confusion. "_What_?"

Charity breaks out in a grin. "It's gone midnight. I'm marrying you _today_."

Heart hammering, Vanessa lets out a laugh. "You idiot, I nearly died just then."

"Well," Charity leans in kissing her neck. "How about we go upstairs and I make it up to you?" Vanessa lets her head fall back as Charity's hands make their way up underneath her pyjama top. "Or, for old time's sake, we could do it on the kitchen table?"

"Charity!" Vanessa does her best to sound scandalised. She's fairly certain she doesn't succeed. "We only did that the on-...twice. And it's not my house anymore! Tracy'd go mad."

"Fine," Charity says, with a mock sigh. "S'pose the bed'll do." She lifts her head and plants a kiss on Vanessa's lips. "Right, c'mon then. Up them stairs for your last pre-marital fumble."

"Uh, you could try and make it sound a _bit_ more romantic than that," Vanessa grumbles as Charity swats her backside on the way up the stairs.

"I _could-_" Charity winds her arms around her waist as they make their way to the bedroom. "But I'd rather spend the time and energy on something else."

Vanessa laughs, tumbling onto the bed and dragging Charity with her. They take a moment to look at each other in the dim light. Vanessa lifts her head, pursing her lips in a request for a kiss that is granted without question.

"I love you," Charity whispers.

Smiling, Vanessa nods. "I know. And I love you too."

And after that, there are no more words.

* * *

There's only a mild crisis in the morning when Debbie turns up, pounding on the door to Tug Ghyll and informing Tracy in hushed tones that her mum's done a runner. But she can't have got that far because she hasn't taken any clothes, her passport or her car, so they're going to organise a Dingle search party and track her down before the wedding. Vanessa need never know, she says.

She's not amused in the slightest when Tracy drags her into the living room, revealing Charity and Vanessa sat at the table, eating toast and drinking tea.


	2. Chapter 2

After Debbie drags Charity over the road, Tug Ghyll becomes a hive of activity. Tracy's determined to make this the best wedding day ever, and has all sorts planned to make sure it goes smoothly. Leyla, the actual wedding planner, mostly observes from the armchair, glass of wine in hand as Tracy bustles around, making phonecalls and ensuring that everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing.

By mid-morning, Leyla's in the shower and Bernice arrives to do Vanessa's make-up. She's got Nicola in tow for some reason.

"Sorry I'm a bit late," Bernice says, when Tracy glares at her from the kitchen. "I've had to have Nicola run into town and get me some last minute supplies this morning." She rolls her eyes. "I'm run off my feet ever since Ker-" Her eyes go wide. "Oh! Sorry, I-"

Vanessa grits her teeth and smiles as genuinely as she can. Today's not for all that. Pain and recrimination have taken up so much of her energy these past few months, but they're not going to play a role in her wedding day. "It's fine, Bernice. Think we'll get started, yeah? Who do you want first, me or Trace?"

"You!" Tracy insists. "You're the bride. We need to get you sorted and then she needs to get over to Charity! I can do me own make-up if need be."

"There'll be no need for that," Bernice says, tying on her pinny. "I'm a skilled professional. Everyone will be beautified in plenty of time."

Bernice gets set up at the kitchen table and Nicola heads to the counter, picking up the half empty bottle of wine. "Got a glass?" Tracy sighs, but locates one for her. "You know what?" Nicola says as she pours herself a generous glass. "You've probably got the right idea, waiting till you're older to get married."

Vanessa's about to reply when Tracy comes to her aid. "Nicola!" she scolds. "She's hardly ancient."

That's not _quite _as resounding a defence as she was hoping for, but it'll have to do because Bernice has started on her face and she doesn't want a gob full of foundation.

"Well, she's not in the first flush of youth, is she?" Half of Nicola's glass is now gone. It's not even eleven o'clock. "No, best to put it about for a while, _then _decide what it is you actually want." She comes over to stand behind Bernice. She tilts her head. "And it's quite lucky you did. Otherwise you might've ended up shacked up with some young lad, when really you-"

"That's quite enough, Nicola," Bernice says, turning to give her sister a look. "Thank you for your help this morning, but I really can take it from here."

"Oh, I don't mind stopping." Nicola takes a sip of wine, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Least you've got the good sense to get married nearby. Less chance of anything going wrong if you're just round the corner, eh?"

"Nothing is going to go wrong!" Tracy insists, giving Vanessa a bright smile. "Everything is going to be amazing."

"Course." Nicola nods, that fake smile back on her face. "Because nothing ever goes wrong on folks' wedding days round here." She flicks her gaze to Tracy. "Didn't you show up in a tractor, covered in cow muck?"

"No, I did not!" Tracy falters. "It wasn't _cow _muck. It was just...dirt."

Bernice is working on her lips, or Vanessa would interject to tell everyone that this isn't the kind of conversation she needs to be listening to right now.

"Yeah, you'll probably be fine." Nicola nods. "I mean, at least your sister's not going to tell you she's been having it off with your fiancée during the wedding." She smirks at Tracy. "We hope."

"Oh, as if." Tracy wrinkles her nose. "Charity's not my type."

"Nicola!" Bernice blushes and steps back. "That's not- I was- You'd lied to him about being pregnant so he'd marry you!"

"Oi!" Vanessa manages, now that her mouth isn't being held hostage. "Can we _please _stop talking about disastrous weddings?" She lifts her eyebrows and looks between them. "This is meant to be the happiest day of my life."

"Sorry." Nicola's clearly hiding a smile behind her glass. "Charity must certainly enjoy weddings. This'll be, what? The fourth happiest day of her life, right?"

"Right. You. Out. Now." Tracy removes the glass from Nicola's hand and propels her towards the front door. "There is no room for that kind of comment in here. Not today."

"See you at the ceremony!" Nicola calls back, as she's ejected from the house.

"I am so sorry about her," Bernice says, rolling her eyes. "You know what they say; you can't choose your relatives."

Vanessa meets Tracy's eyes as she comes back through. She smiles, thinking back to when they'd first found out they were sisters. The knock down fights they'd had. She'd never have chosen Tracy back then.

And now she wouldn't change her for the world.

* * *

With make-up done and Bernice packed off to Jacob's Fold to sort Charity and Debbie out, there's a brief lull in the proceedings. Leyla's over at the pub, making sure everything's in place for the reception, and then she'll head down to the gazebo to do the last minute checks for the ceremony. Tracy's had instructed her on her way out the door to phone with any tiny problem so they can sort it out as quickly as possible. Leyla had just rolled her eyes and said '_That's _literally _my job, Trace. You just concentrate on getting that one there.'_

They're sitting on the couch together, in full hair and make up and their dressing gowns. Vanessa'd wanted to get into her dress, but Tracy insisted they leave it till the last minute to minimise possible spillages.

Tracy breaks the comfortable silence that's settled between them. "You know, when you and Charity first hooked up, I was a bit...surprised."

"Not as surprised as me, love," Vanessa says, with a smile.

"No, but I thought it was just some drunken thing that had helped you figure yourself out a bit." Tracy shakes her head. "But pretty quickly it was obvious that it wasn't that at all." She smiles. "And now I can't actually remember what it was like before the two of you were together. You're just...Charity and Vanessa, aren't you? And it's so weird to think there was a time when you weren't."

Vanessa nods. Even when she really thinks about it, she can't picture a time when she could walk into the pub and see Charity without getting a warm feeling in her chest. It hurts to think of Charity barely sparing her a glance. It must have happened dozens, _hundreds_, of times. But she can't recall any of them.

"I can't remember what it was like not to be in love with her, if I'm honest."

"Oh, _don't_!" Tracy says, flapping her hands by her eyes. "I don't want to ruin this mascara!"

"Well you started it!" Vanessa protests, doing the same.

They're saved when the front door opens and the boys spill in. Vanessa and Tracy both let out an 'awwwwww' at the same time. They're dressed in their little matching suits. Moses with his red tie and Johnny with a green one. They'd stayed with Rhona last night and she was taking them to the pub this morning to get them ready with Chas and Paddy's help.

"Oh, you both look so handsome!" Vanessa manages, a whole new set of tears threatening now as they stand shoulder to shoulder in front of her. She bends to kiss each of them on the forehead, flattening out Johnny's shirt and straightening Moses' tie. Noah and Rhona come in and close the front door, and Vanessa's heart clenches when she sees how grown up Noah is in his own suit. He's had a growth spurt this last year, his shoulders widening and waist narrowing into the body of a man instead of a boy. She covers her heart with her hand, and he rolls his eyes.

"Don't. I've already had mum gushing all over me."

She's prevented from replying when Moses pipes up. "Why're you still in your jammies?" A frown twists his Barton features into pure Dingle. "We've got to go to the wedding!"

Tracy's stood behind Vanessa, snapping pictures on her phone. "We're gonna get dressed in a minute, sweetheart. We didn't want to spill anything on our nice dresses."

"Yeah, we've had a few near misses ourselves this morning," Rhona says, looking pointedly at Moses. "But they were so excited about their suits, we couldn't keep them out of them."

Johnny tugs Moses away into the kitchen and Vanessa stands back up, smiling at her best mate and her stepson, all dressed in their finery to go to _her _wedding. It still doesn't feel real, somehow.

"I didn't expect to see you all till the ceremony," she confides.

"The boys wanted to see you and mum," Noah says. "We've just come from over there. They wanted to show off their suits."

Rhona, just slightly behind Noah, shakes her head and points at him, letting Vanessa know it was his idea. She wells up again at that knowledge.

"Well, I'm glad you brought them over. It's probably the only point in the day when the three of you will look this tidy." She smiles. "How's things over the road?"

"Mental," Noah says.

"_Fine_," Rhona tells her, nudging Noah.

Tracy looks between them, on high alert for any sign of trouble. "Which is it? Mental or fine?"

"It just feels a bit mad with Bernice still there and Debbie and Ryan-" She can see Rhona searching for a tactful way to say what she wants to. "-having words."

"They're _arguing_?" Vanessa asks, eyes wide.

"Debbie's just trying to tell Ryan there's no such thing as a formal baseball cap, that's all," Rhona says as Noah sniggers.

"Oh my God, I'm calling him right now to-" Tracy pauses, her attention caught by something in the kitchen. "Moses! That's my bra! It's not for wearing on your head!" She starts towards him, and him and Johnny both run out the open back door, giggling and squealing, with Tracy on their heels.

"I better give her a hand," Noah says, jogging after them. "They're slippery little beggars."

Vanessa watches him go, then turns back to Rhona, surprised to find she has tears in her eyes. She frowns. "Wh-what is it?"

"Nothing!" Rhona sniffs and blinks. She takes Vanessa's hand and squeezes it. "I'm just _so _happy for you, Ness. I'm _so _happy that you're happy. You deserve it."

"Awwww." Vanessa tugs her hand, pulling her into a hug and closing her eyes. A brief flash of what might have been if Rhona had returned her feelings all those years ago goes through her mind. It feels like another lifetime. It feels like it happened to someone else, almost. As she told Tracy earlier, she can't remember a time when her heart wasn't full of Charity and all their kids. She kisses Rhona's cheek and pulls away. "Thank you. I _am_ happy. And I'm happy that you'll be there today."

It goes unspoken that Vanessa wasn't at Rhona's last wedding. Not the way she should have been. Or any of her weddings, come to think of it.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Rhona says, just as Noah and Tracy herd the boys back in from outside. Moses head is bra free, but his shirt is untucked, and Johnny's jacket is hanging off one shoulder. Rhona sighs. "Right, boys, back to the pub to get tidied up, yeah?"

"One more picture first!" Tracy insists. "V, you get in with the boys. You too, Noah."

Noah steps up beside Vanessa, putting his arm around her, while the younger boys stand in front of them and they each put a hand on one of their shoulders.

"Right! Everybody say _Dingle_!" Tracy says, exaggerating her grin to show them what she wants.

"Dingle!" They all call in unison as she snaps the picture.

Johnny turns to look up at them with a smile. "I'm gonna be Johnny Dingle now. Charity said so."

"You are, darlin'," Vanessa says, sweeping a hand over his hair. "And I'm gonna be Vanessa Dingle."

"And what am I gonna be?" Moses asks, making them all laugh.

Vanessa shakes her head, bending to kiss his cheek. "You'll still be Moses Dingle. We're all going to be Dingles after today."

He nods and grins. "Yeah! We're all Dingles." He starts to rhyme them off. "Moses Dingle and Johnny Dingle and Noah Dingle and Charity-"

"He could be there for a while," Rhona interjects. "Best get them moving, eh?"

With a final kiss for both boys, Rhona starts urging them towards the door. Moses is still going.

"-Debbie Dingle and Tracy Dingle and-"

Tracy opens her mouth to protest, but Vanessa just shakes her head. "We'll clear that one up later."

Tracy smiles and heads up the stairs.

Noah hangs back a little, hovering in the doorway. He shifts his feet and glances at Vanessa before looking away. Vanessa hides a smile. He's so like his mother. This means there's a feeling of some description about to be expressed.

"I uh-" He coughs. "I don't really know what you're supposed to say on someone's wedding morning." He meets her eyes. "Is it 'good luck'? Or 'congratulations'?"

She tilts her head. "I suppose either would do. Or 'I'm happy for you'? 'I wish you well'? That kind of thing." She shrugs. "Just whatever you feel is right, really."

"Right." He inhales through his nose. "Then I want to say thank you."

She frowns. "What? That's...that's not-"

"Thank you for sticking around, even though I was obnoxious to you." He swallows and shakes his head. "Thank you for staying, even when she made it hard, sometimes. Nobody else ever did." His eyes are shining now, and she knows her mascara is a lost cause. "Thank you for loving her like she deserves."

"Oh, Noah." It's all she manages before he wraps his arms around her and she finds herself crying into his shoulder. "I'm gonna get your suit covered in make-up," she protests, but it's weak, because she's clinging to him. When he lets her go, she straightens out the lapels of his jacket and sniffs, looking up at him. "You don't ever have to thank me for any of that, okay? I'm going nowhere."

He nods and wipes his nose, collecting himself. "Right. Well. I should go and help Rhona wrangle the boys."

"Yeah, yeah, course." She sniffs and smiles. "Thank you for bringing them over. I know I'd have seen you all later on, but it was lovely to get a quiet minute with the three of you before the day starts properly."

"No problem." He steps out of the door and then turns back. "Ness?"

She lifts her eyebrows in question. "Yeah?"

He holds out his fist.

A new wave of tears is unstoppable. She bumps her own fist against his. He smiles and nods, and then he's off down the path, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets like he didn't just give her the best present he possibly could have. She watches him until he disappears through the front door of the pub, only then closing the door and heading back through just as Tracy clatters back down the stairs.

Tracy's squawk of distress tells her just how bad her make-up is.

* * *

After an emergency call to Bernice and a quick touch up, everything's back on track. They're both in their dresses. Vanessa's checking that everything's as it should be in Tracy's full length mirror. She loves her dress. It's very simple; off white with a bateau neckline. It flares slightly at the waist and just skims her knees. She's got ridiculously high heels on, which she might come to regret on the uneven terrain outside the village hall. But they make her legs look great.

She turns to smile at Tracy, looking absolutely stunning in her baby blue dress. It had been a struggle to get a colour both Debbie and Tracy could agree on, but they'd settled on the blue, which went well with Vanessa's desire for sunflowers in her bouquet.

"Right," Tracy begins. "Now, we _really _don't have time for another touch up, so we're gonna have to just try and get through this next bit without crying, yeah?"

"Oh, well now I'm _expecting _to cry, Tracy," Vanessa huffs. "What is 'the next bit'?"

Tracy blows out a breath. "Okay. So, you know the whole 'something old, something new' thing?"

"Yeah." She'd forgotten all about it, truth be told.

"Well, I've got something here that-" She thrusts what feels like a piece of fabric into Vanessa's hand. "Here."

She looks down to find a handkerchief. It's light blue, and when she unfolds it she sees an 'F' embroidered in one corner. She lifts it to her nose and inhales, the smell of his aftershave is strong and sense memory hits her so hard she could be hugging him. All it needs is a little hint of leather and hair gel and it would be like he was standing next to her.

"It's old, obviously. And blue. And it's borrowed, because it's his." Tracy touches her arm and she opens her eyes. "And I bought a new bottle of his aftershave and sprayed it with it. So it's four in one."

"Oh, Tracy." She shakes her head, forcing the words out. "It couldn't be more perfect." She squeezes her sister's hand. "_Thank you_."

Tracy nods. "I wanted you to have a little bit of him with you today. He'd be proud as anything." She leans forward, bringing Vanessa into her arms. "_I'm_ proud as anything of you."

"Thanks, Tracy." Vanessa smiles. "I love you."

"Love you too." Tracy pulls back and tries to scowl. "What did I say about crying?"

"I think we just have to give up on that and keep doing repair jobs, I'm afraid." Vanessa's phone beeps over on the chest of drawers and she squeezes Tracy's arm as she moves to get it. It's a text from Charity.

_Just getting ready to leave the house now. See you soon, babe. xxx (Don't be TOO late!) _❤️

Her heart speeds up and she grins over at Tracy. "I'm getting _married_ today!"

"Uh, yeah." Tracy raises her eyebrows and gestures to what Vanessa's wearing. "Hence the wedding dress."

"No, I know. I mean, I know I'm _getting _married today," Vanessa tries to explain. "But it's not that. I'm gonna stand in front of everyone I know and I'm gonna promise to love Charity for the rest of my life." She shakes her head. "And it'll be the easiest promise I've ever made."

Tracy laughs. "Soppy cow. Come _on. _We should be leaving in a couple of minutes."

"Yeah, you get downstairs. I'll just be a minute." She waits until Tracy leaves before turning her attention back to her phone. The importance of the reply weighs on her for a second; her last text to Charity before they're married. She shakes her head. She'll text Charity a million more times in her life, there's nothing especially significant about this one, so she decides to keep it simple.

_I won't be TOO late, promise. Mainly because I can't wait to be married to you. I love you. I'll see you soon. xxx _❤️

She watches until the message is read. She gets a single heart emoji in response and smiles, putting her phone on silent and slipping it into the clutch she'll had to Leyla when they get down there. With a final look in the mirror, she grabs the handkerchief and her bag and heads downstairs.

* * *

Leyla's waiting for them by Tenant House and she squeals when she sees them heading down. She teeters up the road on heels much higher than Vanessa's.

"Oh my God, you look amazing!" Leyla appraises her, shaking her head.

"I bet you say that to all the brides," Vanessa protests, but she's blushing.

"Well, yeah, but I don't always mean it." Leyla winks. "No, honestly, kid, you are drop dead gorgeous."

"Everything sorted?" Tracy pitches in. "Everyone in place?"

"Everything is _perfect_," Leyla confirms. She lifts an eyebrow at Vanessa. "And just _wait _until you see Charity." She purses her lips and nods. "Smokin' is the only word that comes to mind."

"Oi, you, that's my fiancée you're drooling over," Vanessa teases, but she can't deny how hard her heart is hammering at the thought of seeing Charity.

"Well, how about we go and make her into your wife, eh?" Leyla says, gently taking her clutch from her. "Come on. Flowers are just down here."

She gets them sorted out with their bouquets; both made up of sunflowers and cornflowers. Vanessa takes Frank's hanky and wraps it around the stems of her flowers as they step around the corner and see the seats all sat out in rows. Tracy holds out her arm for her to take, smiling.

"Ready?"

She smiles and nods, linking her arm through her sister's; grateful that she's here to carry out this duty. Charity was being walked down the aisle by Noah and Ryan. Ryan had joked that he'd be the one needing walked down and he should be in the middle Charity had been fairly scandalised like she is whenever he makes fun of his disability.

The music changes and everyone stands up, turning to look at her. She hears the murmurs of approval as she gets closer, and returns the smiles coming her way. She tries to see Charity, but she doesn't have a clear view down the aisle as yet and with everyone standing, she's got no chance.

Just before they get to the end of the aisle, the scent of his aftershave reaches her nose and she pauses. For a second, just a _second_, she could swear she can see him standing there, off to the side of the crowd. Arms crossed, hair coiffed, with that cheeky, sparkling grin of his. Then he's gone.

She blinks, willing him to reappear, but he doesn't. Strangely, it doesn't make her sad. It's like a little reminder of his love and that he'd want her to be happy. So she turns, lifts her head high, and keeps walking.

And when she finally gets a clear view down the aisle, there's nothing imagined about the vision in front of her. Charity's there, breathtaking in an off-white tailored suit, smiling wider than Vanessa can ever remember seeing her smile before.

Tracy squeezes her arm and she looks over at her.

"Right. Let's go and get you married, eh? Don't want to keep your future wife waiting any longer than we have to. Her eyes might fall out of her head."

Vanessa turns back to the front, meeting Charity's eyes. Charity puts a hand over her heart and nods. Any lingering sadness is washed away in the face of this life that's in front of her. Full of love and laughter and tears; full of family. And that's exactly what her dad would have wanted for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Vanessa comes back from the loos, more grateful than ever that she didn't opt for a meringue style wedding dress, when she spots Charity at the far end of the bar. She's chatting to Debbie and Johnny's seated on the bar swinging his legs back and forth, with Charity's arm secure around his waist. He's playing with her left hand; twisting the new addition to her fourth finger round and round. Vanessa's smiles at the simple sight. Then Charity looks over and her heart stutters in her chest when their eyes meet. It's happened since the very beginning of their relationship; tiny moments where her world has shrunk so that it's just them. Even now, in a pub packed to the rafters with friends and family, the sounds fade away and faces blur until all she can see is Charity's smile.

The world whips back in when Charity turns to Debbie, leaning in to whisper something, and then turns to tickle Johnny, kissing his cheek and lifting him down from the bar. Debbie holds out her hand for him to take and the two of them head off as Charity makes her way towards Vanessa. She tries really hard, but her eyes betray her and rake down Charity's body, so beautifully displayed by the cut of her suit. She drags them back up in time for Charity to slip her arm around her shoulders, tugging her close and kissing her temple.

"So, Mrs Dingle, how's your day going?"

"Oh, you know, about average I'd say." Vanessa's arms go around Charity's waist. "Got married to the love of my life about an hour ago, so that was a bit of excitement."

Charity swipes a stray hair behind Vanessa's ear. "An hour? Is that all it's been?" She shakes her head, a smile softening her features. "Feels like forever."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Vanessa pulls her close, settling her head against her shoulder. "The ceremony was lovely, wasn't it?"

She hears a laugh rumble through Charity's chest. "D'you know what, babe? I can barely remember it. All I could think about after I clocked you in this dress was how lucky I was that you were daft enough to be marrying me."

Vanessa lifts her head and smiles, leaning in and lowering her voice. "When Tracy was walking me down the aisle and I caught sight of you, I had this mad urge to break into a run just so I could be married to you a few seconds sooner."

Charity smiles. "Yeah?"

Nodding, Vanessa rolls her eyes. "I was thinking to myself, '_today's supposed to be about me and Charity, so why am I sauntering up this aisle with everybody gawping and she's all the way up there?_'." She laughs softly. "Daft, I know."

"A bit," Charity agrees. "But I wouldn't have complained if you had." Her arm tightens around Vanessa. "Until you were stood next to me, I'd convinced myself that you could still leg it."

Vanessa shakes her head, making sure Charity's looking at her before she responds. "The only running I wanted to do was towards you, okay?"

Charity's eyes crinkle at the edges, telegraphing the smile that follows and lights up her whole face in a way that Vanessa absolutely adores. She can't help but lean in and press their lips together. Charity pulls her closer, hands tightening on her hips. She vaguely registers someone wolf-whistling at them, but she can't even be bothered to see who it is. It doesn't matter. This is their day and if she wants to kiss her wife, then she'll do it.

Wife.

Even just thinking the word sends a flurry of butterflies into her stomach. She has a _wife_. Pulling away, she takes Charity's face in both of her hands and grins at her.

"You're my wife." A laugh erupts from some secret place in her chest. "You're my _wife_!"

"Uh, yeah babe." Charity rolls her eyes, but Vanessa can feel the muscles in her cheeks straining not to smile. "That was what all the vows and stuff were about earlier."

"God, I was so nervous I'd forget my vows." Vanessa sighs, tilting her head and settling her hands on Charity's shoulders. "What you said was gorgeous, by the way."

Charity's eyes drop, briefly, but her cheeks colour at the praise. "Yeah, well, I knew whatever I said, it couldn't be worse than the proposal, and you still said yes to that." She winks. "So I was pretty confident you'd say 'I do' at the end of whatever drivel I managed to spout today."

Vanessa tuts her disapproval. "It wasn't _drivel_. It was _beautiful_." She scrunches up her brow in consideration. "But, okay, yeah, I'd have said 'I do' no matter what you'd said."

There's a moment of smugness, which quickly slides into something softer as Charity regards her. "Have I told you how stunning you look, by the way?"

"Once or twice." Vanessa grins, running her hands down the lapels of Charity's suit, flattening them against her chest. "You don't look so bad yourself." She ducks her head. "I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing when I saw you."

"Awwww, I can still take your breath away then?"

"All the time," Vanessa confesses. "But today you're-"

She's cut off when she's bumped from behind by someone and she turns to find Tracy waving a fiver over the bar, trying to get Matty's attention. She still looks frantic, even though the ceremony went like clockwork. Vanessa had hoped she'd settle down a bit after that. She turns in Charity's arms, linking their fingers together on her belly as she smiles at her sister.

"Hey. You alright?"

"Hmmm?" Tracy doesn't spare her a glance, having finally caught Matty's eye. "Gin and tonic. Make it a double."

"Put your money away, babe." Charity nods to Matty. "On me, yeah?"

Vanessa had wanted an open bar at the reception, but Chas and Charity had quickly divested her of that notion.

_Open bar at a Dingle do? We'd be bankrupt before teatime! _

She watches Tracy neck the drink, and reaches out to touch her arm when she sets the empty glass down.

"What's up?"

"Eh?" Tracy finally turns to face them and she immediately plasters on a fake smile. "Nothing! Nothing's up. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Well, _that_ was convincing." Charity sighs. "C'mon, Trace."

It only takes a few seconds for Tracy to war with herself and then cave, because she's never been one to hide her feelings. She shakes her head. "I just- I'm bricking it about this speech." Vanessa goes to reassure her but she barrels on. "And I know you've said whatever I say will be fine, but I don't want it to be _fine_. I want it to be perfect because it should have been Dad up there telling bad jokes, not me. And I know that's what you'll be thinking about when I'm speaking and I don't want-"

"Oi." Vanessa squeezes Tracy's arm. "I don't need you to be perfect. When did Dad ever do anything perfect in his life?" The tears that sting her eyes are familiar now, and they've started to come more often out of affection and humour rather than anger and recrimination. "And yeah, if he was here today, his speech would be full of terrible jokes and he'd probably insult half the room unintentionally." She bites her lip and swallows. "But he'd speak from his heart, and that's all I want you to do, okay?"

"You don't need to be him, babe," Charity puts in, over her shoulder. "We just want you to be you."

Tracy's tears spill over her lashes at the same instant her own do and there's a clamour to find tissues until Vanessa remembers the handkerchief carefully folded and slipped into her bra earlier. She fishes it out and dabs at her face, offering it to Tracy afterwards. Charity frowns, her nose wrinkling.

"You know, I don't want to freak either of you out or anything, but I _swear _I can smell Frank's aftershave." She looks around, like she expects him to walk out of one of the darker corners of the pub. "I thought I did earlier an'all, but it's _really _strong now."

The sisters look at each other and dissolve into laughter. It feels like any weight from their conversation is released with their giggles as Charity looks between them, bewildered. Vanessa holds the hankie up in front of her face. Charity sniffs it, gingerly, and pulls back.

"Okay, yeah, that's him."

"Tracy gave it me." Vanessa straightens the cloth out, displaying the embroidered 'F'. "It was my dad's, and she sprayed it with his aftershave."

"Well, that's a bit of a relief, if I'm honest." Charity lifts her eyebrows at Tracy. "Thought he was haunting us."

"I wouldn't mind if he was here in spirit, somehow." Vanessa says, folding up the hankie again. "I'd like to think he is."

"Well, as long as he buggers off before tonight, yeah?" Charity winks. "I do _not _want him watching what I'm planning to do to you later."

Tracy scrunches up her face. "Uh, I didn't really want that image in my head either, thanks."

"Take your mind off your nerves, won't it?" Charity says, squeezing Vanessa gently. "You're welcome."

A new surge of love crashes over Vanessa's heart at Charity, in her own way, trying to make Tracy feel better. She leans back against her, attempting to convey her thanks without being completely obvious.

"Thanks," Tracy deadpans, but there's definite humour in her tone.

"Charity was right," Vanessa says. "We just want you to be you. And you know what? If this speech is causing you stress, then you don't have to do it. Just get leathered and have a dance with the rest of us."

"No, I _want _to do it." Tracy looks between them. "You've both been there for me when I needed you. I want to do this for the pair of you." She nods. "And I can. And I will."

"Do I sense a group hug coming on?" Charity says, with a roll of glassier than normal eyes.

"Oh, go on then." Tracy flings her arms around them, squishing Vanessa between herself and Charity. She lets go and steps back, dabbing at the edges of her eyes with her knuckles. "Right. I better go and touch myself up in the toilets before my big moment."

Vanessa knows what's coming even before she feels Charity take a breath, and she surreptitiously pinches her side, making her jump, but successfully cutting off whatever lewd comment she was about to make.

"You'll be great, Trace," Vanessa says, catching her hand and squeezing.

"Yeah, you'll smash it," Charity says with a smile.

Tracy grins. "Well, it's the least I can do for my big sisters, eh?" She winks and turns to leave, ignoring Charity's shouts of '_in-law!'_.

Vanessa shakes her head, turning in Charity's arms and smiling up at her. "Thanks for that." She nods in the direction Tracy had taken. "You've got a way of getting through to her that I haven't."

Charity rolls her eyes. "Yeah, well, she's alright, is Trace." She glances around and then takes Vanessa's hand. "Come with me." She pulls her out the front door and into the sunshine. A few of their guests have spilled out to the picnic tables out the front and they greet them with raised glasses. Charity ignores them, tugging Vanessa around the side of the pub.

"What's going on?" Vanessa asks, letting herself be led.

"Hmmm?" Charity shrugs. "Just wanted you to myself for a second. To, uh, to give you this."

She slides a hand into her jacket pocket and pulls out a wrapped box, long and flat and slim. It's wrapped in silver paper and tied with curled ribbon. And if Vanessa was a betting person, she'd put money on Sarah having been the one to wrap it, because Charity doesn't really go for presentation when it comes to gifts. Vanessa takes the box from her.

"I got you something an'all, but I didn't bring it. I was gonna give it to you later on when we get home."

Charity's eyes widen. "Ooooooh, sounds exciting." She goes to take the gift box back. "Bugger this, let's go and do yours."

"Oi!" Vanessa shakes her head and holds on to her present. "It's not polite to take presents back."

Charity scuffs the point of her shoe through the gravel. She goes to slide her hands into her back pockets, but realises she doesn't have any, letting them fall to her sides instead. "Well, it's nothing filthy like whatever you've got planned."

"Mine isn't filthy!" Vanessa protests as she unties the ribbon. "It's just something I want to give you when it's just you and me."

It's a leatherbound copy of The Secret Garden that Vanessa has written her vows on the inside cover of. She hopes Charity's not disappointed in it now she's built up her expectations. Although, in fairness, she does have on a very sexy set of underwear beneath her dress that she's pretty sure Charity will enjoy as well.

She gets the box open and frowns at its contents. It's an old lock off a door. Not the modern kind, with all elaborate locking systems, but the old latching-

She looks up at Charity. "Is this from the pub cellar?"

Charity nods, looking so unsure of herself that Vanessa reaches up and grasps the back of her neck, pulling her into a tender kiss. The meaning behind this deceptively simple gift is immense and Vanessa can feel her throat clogging with emotion. She stays close to Charity, their foreheads touching as they look down at the lock in Vanessa's hand. Charity brushes her thumb over the old ironwork.

"After Moses and Johnny got locked in there that time, I had a bloke come and replace this with a new one." She laughs, softly. "And I asked him to keep this for me and he launched into some big explanation about how it wouldn't ever be useful again because of some gubbins about the mechanism and so I had to tell him the reason I wanted to keep it."

"What did you tell him?" Vanessa whispers. She knows the story, of course she does. She just wants to hear how Charity tells it to other people.

Heaving a sigh, Charity takes a little step back so their eyes can meet. "I told him that, because of that lock, I got stuck in the cellar one night with a narky little blonde, determined to read me the riot act. And that I ended up kissing her that night just to shut her up."

Vanessa nods and sniffs, waiting for more.

"And I told him that I was never the same after that bloody kiss." Charity shakes her head, but she's smiling. "And I told him that if it wasn't for this lock, I might never have known how amazing you are. We might never have found our way to each other." She shrugs. "And that's how I reduced a six foot four joiner, built like a brick shithouse I might add, to tears."

Vanessa's had that exact thought many a time. How this little chunk of metal changed her whole life in ways she could never have imagined. It brought her Charity. Noah and Moses and Debbie and Ryan. Sarah and Jack. Even all the peripheral Dingles. One broken lock brought her the greatest love she's ever known, and a whole family to go along with it.

She looks up at Charity now and smiles, determined to keep her tears at bay. "We should get it framed or mounted or something. Put it up on the wall so you can make more tradespeople cry."

Charity nods. "I was gonna get something like that done with it, but I knew you'd have opinions on what it should be, so I thought we'd be best deciding together."

"I'd love that," Vanessa says, pressing the lock against her chest. "And I love that you were too soppy to throw this away."

"It brought me you, Ness." Charity shakes her head. "And there will never be a day of my life that I'm not grateful for that."

Then they're kissing and Vanessa doesn't even know who instigated it. She just loses herself in the warmth and security of Charity's arms and the familiarity of her lips. She's certain she could do this for the rest of her life without tiring of it.

"Hey." A voice cuts into the world they've made for themselves and they look around to find Chas bouncing Eve on her hip, grinning at them from the corner. "When the two of you come up for air, the natives are getting restless. You might want to come in and get the speeches done so we can serve them some grub, eh?"

"Tell them I'll be in when I've finished kissing my wife, will you?" Charity brushes her nose against Vanessa's ear. "So they might be waiting a while."

Vanessa shoves her, shaking her head. "We'll be in in a sec, Chas. Thanks." Eve waves at them as Chas turns to leave and Vanessa waves back before shifting her attention to her wife. "Right. S'pose we best get back to our guests."

"Hmmph. Guests." Charity sighs. "Bet my idea about an Elvis impersonator on a beach in Spain isn't sounding so bad right now, is it?"

Laughing, Vanessa tugs her, getting her moving. "We'll have plenty of time for beaches next week. Right now we've a pub full of people who want to help us celebrate our wedding."

"Who want a free feed, more like."

"_Charity_," Vanessa scolds and is glad to see Charity's resulting smile.

They make their way into the bar and get a cheer just for walking in. Someone shoves a glass of champagne into each of their hands and Charity holds hers up.

"Right you lot!" The crowd quietens and Charity wraps an arm around Vanessa, pulling her in. "On behalf of my wife and I-" Cheers and whistles ring out and Vanessa hides her face in Charity's shoulder in case her heart bursts. "I'd like to thank you all for coming along to be with us today. It really means a lot." Vanessa looks up to find Charity gazing at her with a soft smile. She goes up on her toes and presses a kiss to her lips. Charity turns back to the crowd. "And, look, you all heard me at the ceremony, going on about how I feel about this one, so we don't need all that going over again." She gestures to where Tracy and Debbie are standing. "I'm supposed to tell you how gorgeous the bridesmaids are, but that's hardly surprising since they're related to me and Ness, yeah?" A ripple of laughter goes through the crowd and Debbie rolls her eyes. "Tracy's gonna take over from me and say a few words, now, and when she's done I want you all to have a brilliant night, yeah? Drink, dance, kiss somebody you never considered kissing before." She looks down at Vanessa, grinning. "It might just turn out to be the best decision you've ever made." She lifts her glass again. "Cheers!"

Instead of drinking, Charity leans down and kisses Vanessa.

Once the cheers die down, Charity and Vanessa move over to let Tracy take centre stage. She's not holding any of the bits of paper Vanessa's seen her poring over the for the last fortnight. She clears her throat and smiles over at them.

"I, uh, I had written out a whole speech of what I thought my dad might've said today," Tracy begins. "It was mostly terrible puns, along with some of the stories he used to tell about when Vanessa was little."

Vanessa's throat gets tight, and Charity takes her hand, squeezing.

"But I'm not going to make that speech." Tracy shakes her head, her eyes shining. "Nobody could take his place today, so I'm not even going to bother trying. Instead, I'm just going to say how absolutely made up I am that my big sister found Charity when she did." Tracy looks over at the two of them. "It was...a surprise, when the pair of you got together-" There are a few yells of agreement around the room, and Vanessa narrows her eyes playfully at Paddy, who's holding his glass up and nodding. "But now, I can't even imagine the two of you apart." Tracy frowns, like she's trying to work something out. "It's like, somehow, even though you're really different, you work together brilliantly. I've spent more time with the two of you than probably most other people, and I'm still in awe of how you are around each other." Vanessa leans her head on Charity's shoulder, swaying against her and smiling when Charity's head comes to rest on her own. Tracy smiles and shakes her head. "I really hope that one day I find somebody who loves me even half as much as you love each other." Charity squeezes her hand. Tracy smiles at them again. "So, I just want to say, Charity, thank you for making Vanessa the happiest I've ever seen her. And Vanessa, thank you for picking someone who's not afraid to lock me in a cupboard when I need it." Vanessa laughs at the unexpected and very inside joke and she can feel Charity doing the same, ignoring the bewildered faces around them. Tracy turns to the crowd. "So, please raise your glasses with me to toast Charity and Vanessa." She meets Vanessa's eyes. "To Teeny and her wife."

Tears come again, unexpectedly this time, spilling down her cheeks in warm streams. Charity lets go of her hand and wraps an arm around her, holding her glass up and drinking the toast for both of them. Vanessa looks to the ceiling, hoping that her Dad is up there somewhere, looking down on them. She smiles and takes a sip of her champagne.

Tracy comes over, eyebrows slanted in worry. "Was that okay? I'm sorry, I totally just did it off the top of my head because I-" Vanessa pulls her into a hug, squeezing her as tightly as she can.

"It was perfect, Tracy." She pulls back and smiles through her tears. "Absolutely perfect."

Charity nods. "You did him proud, kid."

"Oh, good." Tracy's whole body softens, the tension she's been holding all day finally gone. She grabs another glass of champagne from the tray Matty's passing by with and necks it, slamming it down on a nearby table. "Right. I'm going to find Pete and snog him."

"Good plan," Vanessa says with a nod. She catches Tracy's hand as she goes to move away. "I love you."

"Love you too." Tracy winks at Charity. "Both of you."

She gets lost in the crowd and Vanessa sighs, smiling when Charity kisses her cheek then moves her lips to her ear. "Right, that's all the boring bits over with. Just the fun stuff left now."

Vanessa laughs and turns to her. "I don't think I've had a single boring moment in my life since the first time you kissed me."

"Is that a good thing?" Charity asks, pursing her lips in question.

"It's a very good thing, Mrs Dingle," Vanessa says, urging Charity down to kiss her.

"Attention everyone!" Bob's voice over the microphone causes them to part. "Just before we serve up the delectable delights Victoria has been preparing for us all day, I'd like to invite the happy couple to have their first dance."

"I'n't that usually after tea?" Sam calls out.

"We brought it forward, Sammy," Charity tells him as she leads Vanessa onto the floor. "Had to get it in before this one gets legless. Any dancing after that is a safety hazard."

Vanessa slaps her shoulder gently as the music starts up. Charity grins, sliding her arm around Vanessa's back and taking her hand. They fit as perfectly as they always do, Vanessa's hand on Charity's shoulder as they begin to sway to the jazzy opening notes of a song Charity had eventually settled on, after much discussion and debate and rejection of Little Mix numbers. She looks into Charity's eyes as they move together in time with the music.

All through the day, Vanessa's found herself thinking that she could never possibly feel happier than she did at that particular moment. When she saw Charity at the other end of the aisle. When Charity said 'I do'. The first time Charity called her 'Mrs Dingle'. But this time, she's certain that she's the happiest she's ever been in her life. Here, dancing with her wife in the middle of a hushed Woolpack.

Then Charity leans down and sings along with the song against her ear and _that _becomes Vanessa's favourite moment of the day.

_For the first time, I'm in love, for the last time._


End file.
